Machine for cutting blocks of ice into small cubes



Oct. 24,1939. M. J. ULINE 2,177,445

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOCKS OF ICE INTO SMALL CUBES Filed May 11, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet l 3mm ,(kLJ 02/11/15 Oct. 24, 1939. uLlNE 2,177,445

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOCKS OF ICE INTO SMALL CUBES Filed May 11, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. J. ULINE Oct. 24, 1939.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOCKS OF ICE INTO SMALL CUBES Filed May 11, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet s W/mn M. J. ULlNE 2,177,445

MACHINE FOR .CUTTING BLOCKS OF ICE INTO SMALL CUBES Filed May 11, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 M. J. ULINE Oct. 24, 1939.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOCKS OF ICE INTO' SMALL CUBE-S 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed M M. J. ULINE Oct. 24, 1939.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOCKS O F ICE INTO SMALL CUBES Filed May 11, 1957 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 JKJUZ/A/E w 0 no 0 0000 00 00 00 00000 0 o 1 E: m m

Q MQ SN 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Oct. 24,1939; 'M'. J, 'ULINE MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOCKS OF ICE INTO SMALL CUBES Filed May 11, 1957 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOCKS F ICE INTO SMALL CUBES 6 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for cutting blocks of ice into small cubes, the object being to provide a machine which is composed of a very few parts so arranged and cooperating with one another that avery strong and durable machine is provided of such a size that it will pass through an ordinary doorway.

Another object of the invention is to provide positive means for intermittently moving the saw carriage at a predetermined-speed of travel whereby the ice carriage and saw carriage will be positively driven in timed relation with one another.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for catching the saw dust and snow and discharging the same into a receptacle to, prevent the same from collecting on the movable members of the machine and retarding the operation thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the saw carriage with a'snow deflector and catcher in the form of a resilient plate in order to allow the same to flexin its travel over a stationary scraper bar arranged above a snow box so that the snow adheringthereto will be removed therefrom by the movement of the saw v carriage.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for independently driving the saws through the medium of independent electric motors whereby the disadvantages of transmission means is prevented and the speed of the machine can be increased. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide cables in the form of chains for driving the saw carriage in opposite directions, one of said cables being driven by the driving means for the ice carriage and the other cable being operated by the momentum of the ice carriage.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved construction of machine with the casing removed:

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the feed end of the machine;

Figure 2a is an enlarged plan view of the other end of the machine;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line ure 2a;

I Figure 5 is an enlarged view showing the driv- 4 -4 of Figing mechanism for the ice carriage and saw carriage partly in section;

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal broken section showing the means for maintaining the endless chain for driving the ice carriage taut;

Figure '7 is a detail side elevation of the drive chain showing the drive lugs;

Figure 8 is a detail top plan view of the drive chain; and

Figure 9 is a section through the pawl and ratchet mechanism.

In carrying out my invention I employ an oblong frame I enclosed in a casing and having disposed longitudinally therein a pair of spaced channel rails 2 and 3, the lower flanges of which have inclined inner faces on which are mounted conical rollers 4 carried by the upper end of an ice carriage 5 in the form of a box for suspending the carriage between the rails so that it can reciprocate. The upper flanges of the rails 2 and 3 carry racks 6 over which travel pinions l carried by shaft 8 mounted in suitable bearings 9 securedto the outer wall of the ice carriage in order to maintain the carriage in its proper alignment as it is reciprocated back and forth.

The ice carriage is provided with an open side to allow the insertion of a block of ice and is provided with a pivoted gate bar It] for holding the ice therein. The ice is supported within the ice carriage by a movably mounted bottom or platform II supported therein by a transversely disposed rod [2 carried by endless chains l3 and I4 disposed between spaced vertically disposed flanges IS on the opposite inner walls of the ice carriage as clearly shown in Figure 4, the platform ll being provided with members H cooperating with the flanges R5 in order to maintain the platform in a horizontal position as it is moved up and down.

The endless sprocket chains I3 and I4 travel over sprocket wheels I6 disposed in the upper end of the ice carriage and over sprocket wheels l1 disposed in the lower end of the carriage, said sprocket wheels I! being carried by a shaft 18 mounted in adjustable bearings l9 whereby the endless sprocket chains can be maintained taut at all times.

Mounted on the shaft 18 is a ratchet wheel 26 engaged by a pawl 2| carried by pivoted lever 22 which is adapted to cooperate with a pin 23 carried by a side bar 24 of the frame in order to swing the lever in one direction. The bar 24 carries a pin 25 carrying a roller 26 which cooperates with the lever 22 to swing the lever in an opposite direction as the ice carriage is moved to engagement therewith. The movement of the lever 22 is limited by stops 22'.

It will be seen that by this construction the lever is operated as the carriage is reciprocated in order to rotate the shaft iii which in turn will drive the endless sprocket chains and raise the platform intermittently as the carriage is reciprocated intermittently in order to bring the upper end of the block of ice disposed therein in the path of the saws as will be hereinafter fully described.

In order to provide means for intermittently reciprocating the ice carriage, I provide an endless chain 2! which travels over the rail 3 and is mounted on a sprocket wheel 28 at one end and on a. sprocket wheel 29 at its other end, idle sprocket wheels 33!, 32 and 33 being disposed in the path of travel to cause the chains to travel downwardly from the point of the sprocket 33 downwardly around the sprocket wheel 29.

The ice carriage is provided with bifurcated projections 34 and 35 which are adaptedto be engaged by driving lugs 36 in the form of rollers arranged on each side of the endless d-rive chain 21 so that as the chain moves in the direction as shown by the arrow it will move the ice carriage into the position shown in Figure 5 which is at one end of the travel of the ice carriage and is in position to have the saw carriage moved transversely thereover as will be later described.

As the drive lug 35 comes in contact with the bifurcated projection 35, the, carriage is moved in the opposite direction or into its initial starting position so that kerfs will first be out at right angles to the previously formed kerfs and the previously formed cubes will be severed therefrom by the horizontally disposed saws which will be later described.

' After the carriage is returned to its original position, the drive lugs 36 engage the drive lugs 34 and move it to the opposite end of the machine and as it moves, the platform is elevated by the pawl and ratchet mechanism so as to position the cake of ice within the ice carriage into such a position that transverse kcrfs can be cut in the top thereof.

The sprocket wheel 2-3 carrying the drive chain 27 is mounted in a movable housing 3'! having connected thereto a bolt 38 surrounded by a coil spring 39 in order to hold the drive chain under tension and maintain it taut at all times so as to insure a positive drive for the ice carriage.

The sprocket wheel 28 is carried by shaft 28 and fixed to said sprocket is a sprocket wheel on over which'passes an endless sprocket chain 4| carried by sprocket 42 of a driven shaft 43 extending outwardly from a gear reduction box 44 into which extends a shaft of an electric motor 45 so that the speed of travel of. the motor shaft will be reduced in order to reduce the speed of travel of the chain 2'! for driving the ice carriage.

The motor 45 andthe gear reduction box are supported by transverse bars 46 as shown in Figure 2. Disposed in advance of the cross bars 46 of the frame I is a cross bar 41 which carries brackets 48 and 418 for supporting electric motors 5B and 5! to the lower end of the drive shafts of which are connected horizontally disposed saws 52 and 53 for cutting off the previously formed cubes of ice.

Secured to the opposite side of the cross bar 41 of the frame is a motor supporting bracket 54 in which is arranged an electric motor 55, the drive shaft of which carries grooved pulleys 56 over which pass belts 5? which extend around grooved pulleys 53 mounted on the shaft 59 which is provided with a plurality of saws 60 forming a gang saw, said shaft being mounted in a suitable bearing carried by a frame 6| supported in. the main frame whereby the gang saw will be driven through the medium of the belt to form yieldable driving means to prevent the same from being injured.

Disposed transverselyin the end of the frame are a pair of channel rails. 62, the lower flanges of which are inclined and over which travel conical rollers 63 carried by a saw carriage t4. Racks 65 are secured tothe lower faces of. the flanges of the rails 62 on which travel pinions 66 carried by shaft 61.

The saw carriage carries an electric motor 68,

the drive shaft of which is provided with grooved pulleys 69 over which travel belts H! which travel over pulleys H carried by a shaft 12 provided with a plurality of saws 73 forming a gang saw for forming transversely disposed kerfs in the block of ice when disposed within the ice car-' riage.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have described an ice carriage for supporting a block of ice with means for intermittently reciprocating the same and for intermittently elevating a block of. ice therein so that the saws 13 as the carriage is moved will cut transversely disposed kerfs in the top of the ice and the saws 58 will cut kerfs at right angles to the previously formed kerfs and the saws 52 and 53 will cut off the previously formed cubes.

In order to drive the saw carriage in timed relation with the ice carriage so that when the i ice carriage reaches its limit of travel and is stationary the reciprocating saw'carriage will be moved in order-to out transverse kerfs in the block of ice, I provide the shaft 29 on which the sprocket wheel 29 is loosely mounted with a y sprocket wheel 14 provided with spaced projections 15 and 16, the projection '56 being adapted to be engaged by the driving lugs 35 so as to rotate the sprocket wheel in the direction of travel of thechain and the projection 15 being adapted to be engaged by driving lugs l'll' carried by the chain 21 and constructed in substantially the same manner as the driving lugs 36 which prevents the sprocket wheel from rotating ahead of the driving lugs 36 for the purpose of preventing the saw carriage from moving beyond a predetermined speed as will be hereinafter fully described.

The saw carriage 64 is reciprocated in one direction by a chain 18 which passes over a sprocket wheel l9 carried by shaft and has its end connected to a bracket 8! and is reciprocated in the opposite direction by sprocket chain 82 which passes over sprocket wheels 83 and 84 and has its free end connected to a bracket 85 carried by the saw arriage. The opposite end of the chain 82 is connected to a bracket 86 carried by the ice carriage 5 as clearly shown' in Figures 1 and 5, the free end of the chain 18 being connected to the chain 82 as shown at 87.

As the driving chain 2! for the ice carriage moves in the direction to move the carriage into position to have transversely formed kerfs formed in the block of ice, the drive lugs 36 rotate the sprocket wheel 14 so as to pull the carriage in the direction as shown by the arrow in Figure 3 in order to form transverselydisposed kerfs in the top of the cake of ice and as the ice carriage 5 returns to its normal position, the slack in the.

chain 82 is-taken up and by the momentum of the ice carriage through the medium of the chain 82, the saw carriage is returned to the position shown in Figure 3 whereby the saw carriage and ice carriageare intermittently reciprocated in timed relation with: one another so that transverse kerfs can be formed inthe block of ice when the block is stationary.

It will be noted that when the drive lug 36 is in engagement with theprojection I6 and the carriage ismoving in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 3 the tendency of the rotating saws is to cause. the carriage to move beyond the predetermined speed and as the sprocket I4 is rotated, the lug 'I'I engages the projection I5 and'prevents the sprocket wheel 14 from being drawnby the rotation ofv the saw ahead of the drive lug 36 whereby I am able to positively drive the saw carriage in the cutting action of the saw at a predetermined speed. 1

, carriage in its reciprocation back and forth in I order to maintain the carriage in its proper position during the cutting action and previous to its cutting action so that the saws will be out of the path of travel of the block of. ice before the saw carriage moves to cut the transverse kerfs and out of the path of travel after the transverse kerfs have been made.

This provides a novel construction of driving means for the saw carriage whereby it is inter- I mittently reciprocated at a predetermined speed and held at the end of its movement by the weight of the chains counterbalancing one another.

The machine is provided with a cube delivering chute 88 which extends downwardly over the horizontally disposed saws 52 and 53 so that as the previously formed cubes are severed from theblock of ice, they will be discharged from the chute. 88 into any suitable receptacle to collect the same.

, In order to remove the snow from the horizontally disposedsaws, I provide scrapers 89 carried by an endless sprocket chain 90 passing over sprocket wheels 9| carried by shafts 92 and 93,

I the shaft 92 carrying a worm wheel 94 which is engaged by worm 95 carried by shaft 96 which is provided with a sprocket 91 over which pass a chain 98 which pass over a sprocket wheel 99 fixed on the driven shaft 43 so as to rotate the shaft 92 in order to cause thescrapers to work transversely over the horizontally disposed saws and to scrape the snow therefrom and carry the same transversely of the machine and deposit the same into a snow box I disposed within theframe along one side'thereofas, shown in Figures 1 and 6, said snow box having an inclined bottom portion IIII terminating in an outlet I02 through. which the snow can be removed.

spectively to the shaft H0 and the shaft 93.

The tray portion I04 terminates over'the snow box I00 so that the snow carried thereon is conveyedtransversely of the machine and deposited in the snow box. The housing I03 is carried by a bracket as shown in Figure 4 which has casing 4 carried thereby in which are pivoted a plurality of weighted fingers I I disposed between the saws 60 to catch and hold the cubes in the cutting of the ice and the downward movement of these fingers is limited by stops I I6 formed on the ends thereof as clearly shown.

In order to catch and convey the snow from the gang saw I3 of the reciprocating carriage, I pivotally connect to the carriage a resilient plate I II as clearly shown in Figure 3 which travels over a rod II8 disposed in the frame and engages the casing enclosing the machine so as to assume the position 'as shown in full lines in Figure 3 when the carriage is at one end of the rails and the position is shown in dotted lines when the carriage is at the other end of the rails and as the saws I3 pass through the upper end of the cake of ice, the snow or sawdust is collected on the resilient plate III and as the carriage moves back, the rod scrapes it off and deposits it in the snow box as clearly shown in Figure 3.

This provides a very simple construction of catching and discharging the snow from the saws of the reciprocating carriage causing the same to be either deflected or carried into the snow box by the movement of the carriage.

The ice carriage is preferably provided with a member I40 which is connected to the platform so as to be moved into position to operate a switch I4I to stop the machine automatically when the platform has been returned to the lowermost position.

In the operation of the machine as herein shown and described, assuming that the ice carriage is at the open endof the frame and that the gate bar has been swung open, a block of ice is inserted in the ice carriage and the electric motors are started, the same being controlled by a conventional form of switch. Through the reduction gear box the endless drive chain for the ice carriage is driven and the lugs carry the carriage to the opposite end of the machine and as the drive lugs pass over the sprocket 33 they move out of engagement with thevbifurcated projection 34 so that the carriage remains stationary until the drive lugs 36 engage the bifurcated projection 35 to return the same to its initial position. When the carriage has reached its limit of movement in passing away from the feed end it remains stationary between the disengagement of the lugs 35 with the bifurcated projection 34 and the engagement of the lugs 36 with the bifurcated projections 35. As the driving chain 21 is moving continuously, the lugs are brought into engagement with the projection I6 which rotates the sprocket wheel over which the chain I8 passes and draws the carriage transversely over the block of ice so that the gang saw carried by the saw carriage cuts transversely disposed grooves in the block of As the tendency of the saw carriage is to travel ahead of its driving means after the saw has become embedded within the ice, the lugs 'II come in contact with the projections I5 so that the sprocket wheel can only travel as fast as the drive chain 21 whereby the predetermined speed of travel is maintained during the cutting action of the saws of the saw carriage,

As the lugs 36 come in contact with the projections 35 the carriage is returned to its original position and as the chain 82 is connected thereto the momentum of the carriage draws the chain in err:

- into position to be cut, of a saw carriage havingv order to return the saw carriage in position to make another cut and this is repeated as long as a of ice is drawn through the rotary gang saw 60 to out kerfs at right angles to the previously formed lrerfs and these cubes thus formed by the transversely and longitudinally disposed kerfs are severed by the horizontally disposed saws and i as the driving mechanism for the snow scrapers is connected to the drive for the chain 2?, these chains are operating continuously so as to remove ,the snow from the saws -60 and the horizontally disposed saw. As the saw carriage is moving back and forth, the snow from the gang saw is caught by the resilient plate and deposited in the snow box so that all of the sawdust created by the cutting of the cubes is discharged into the snow box. Q'

As the platform of the ice carriage is intermittently elevated, the ice is advanced in position to be cut and as the supports for theplatform' travel over the sprocket Wheels at the upper end of the carriage, the platform returns automatically to its original position as the pawl and ratchet mechanism allows the platform to drop by its own weight.

The fingers H5 which are arranged between the saws not only prevent the cubes from working backwardly but help to remove the snow and by this construction when the machine is inoperation, as the cubes are out they are forced by the movement of the saws outwardly to deliver in front of the machine.

What I claim is:

[1..In a machine for cutting blocks of ice into small cubes, the combination with an intermittently reciprocating ice carriage for supporting and intermittently elevatinga block of ice into position to be cut, of a saw carriage having a gang saw adapted to move transversely across said block of ice when said carriage is stationary,

a fixed gang saw arranged in the path of travel of said block or ice in said ice carriage for cutting kerfs at right angles to the previously formed lreris when said-carriage is moving. in one direction, a horizontally disposed saw arranged in the path of travel of said block of ice for cutting off the previously formed cubes from said block of ice, means for reciprocating said ice carriage, apair of cables connected. to said saw carriage, an intermittently rotating member for driving one of said cables for moving said saw carriage in one direction and a connection between the other cable and said ice carriage for driving said saw carriage in the opposite direction by the momentum of said ice carriage.

2. In a machine for cutting blocks of ice into small cubes, the combination with an intermittently reciprocating ice carriage for support- 7 ing and intermittently elevating a block of ice a gang saw adapted to move transversely across said block of ice when said carriage is stationary, afixed gang saw arranged in the path of travel 7 of said block of ice in said ice carriage for cutting keris at right angles to the previously formed kerfs, when said carriage is moving in one direction, a horizontally disposed saw arranged in the path of travel of said block of ice for cutting When the carriagev off the previously formed cubes from said block of ice, an endless chainprovided with driving lugs for intermittently reciprocating said ice carriage, a loosely mounted wheel carrying a projection adapted to be engaged by said driving lugs, a cable passing over said wheel having a connection with said saw carriage for moving said saw carriage inone direction, a cable having a connection with said saw carriage for moving said saw carriage in the opposite direction and a connection between the last mentioned cable and said ice carriage for operating said cable by the tently reciprocating ice carriage for supporting.

and intermittently elevating a block of ice into position to be cut, of a saw carriage having a gang saw adapted to move transversely across said block of ice when said carriage is stationary, a fixed gang saw arranged in the path of travel of said block of ice in said ice carriage for cutting keri's at right angles to the previously formed kerfs when said carriage is moving in one direc: tion, a horizontally disposed saw arrangedinthe path of travel of said block of ice for cutting off the previously formed cubes from said block of ice, an endless chain for intermittently reciprocating said ice carriage, a pair of chains connected to said saw carriage for intermittently reciprocating the same, a sprocket wheel for operating one of said chains provided with a projection, a driving. lug carried by the endless chain for driving the ice carriage engaging said projection ,for rotating said sprocket Wheel to move said saw carriage in one direction and and intermittently, elevating a block of ice into,

position to be out, of a saw carriage having a gang saw adapted to move transversely across said block of ice when said carriage is stationary, a fixed gang saw arranged in the path of travel of said block of ice in said ice carriage for cutting kerfs at right angles to the previously formed kerfs when said carriage is moving in one direction, a horizontally disposed sawv arranged in the path of travel of said block of ice for cutting oil the previously formed cubes from said block of ice, means for intermittently reciprocat ing the ice carriage, a pair of cables connected to said saw carriage. a rotary member for driving one of said cables, a pair of projections carried by said rotary member, a continuously mov- H ing'member provided with spaced driving lugs cooperating with said projections for rotating said rotary member and means for connecting the other cable to said ice carriage for reciprocating said saw carriage in one direction by the momentum of said ice carriage.

5. In amachine for cutting blocks of iceinto small cubes, the combination with an intermittently reciprocating ice carriage for supporting and intermittently elevating a block of ice into position to be cut, of a saw carriage having a gang saw adapted to: move transversely acrosssaid block of ice when said carriage is stationary,

a fixed gang saw arranged in the, path of travel of said block of ice in said ice carriage for cutting kerfs when said carriage is moving in one diconnected to said ice carriage having its end connected to said saw carriage.

6. In av machine for cutting blocks of ice into cubes, the combination with an intermittently reciprocating ice carriage for supporting and intermittently elevating a block of ice, of a reciprocating saw carriage having a gang saw adapted to move transversely across said block of ice when said ice is stationary, a fixed gang saw arranged in the path of travel of said block of ice in said ice carriage cutting kerfs at right angles to the previously formed kerfs when said block is moving in said ice carriage, a horizontally disposed saw arranged in the path of travel of said block of ice for-cutting off the previously formed cubes from said block, means for moving said saw carriage in one direction and means operated by the momentum of said ice carriage for operating said saw carriage in an opposite direction.

MIGIEL J. ULINE. 

